Beaumont and Fletcher

Study question Beaumont and Fletcher

Facts about Beaumont and Fletcher

➾ Beaumont’s critical reputation suggests that he might have been a better playwright than William Shakespeare.

➾ Beaumont was only the third poet interred in Westminster Abbey’s famous Poet’s Corner since its inception.

➾ According to one account, Beaumont and Fletcher oddly shared their dwelling, clothing, and even a “wench”.

➾ Beaumont’s successful dramatic collaboration with Fletcher immediately ceased upon his marriage to an heiress.

➾ Beaumont tragically suffered a stroke and died in 1616, leaving his wife expecting their second unborn child.

➾ John Fletcher’s father gained notoriety for fiercely harassing Mary, Queen of Scots, upon the scaffold.

➾ Fletcher, who did not pursue a church career, had worked previously as a Bible clerk at Cambridge University.

➾ Their play A King and No King features a man lusting for his sister, relieved by learning he is a commoner.

➾ The playwright John Fletcher succeeded William Shakespeare, becoming the principal writer for the King’s Men company.

➾ Fletcher often drew influence from Spanish drama, making him unique among contemporary English playwrights.

➾ After a prolific career collaborating with others, John Fletcher eventually died from the devastating London plague

Beaumont and Fletcher MCQs

1. When was Francis Beaumont born?

A. c. 1579
B. c. 1584
C. c. 1588
D. c. 1591

B. c. 1584.
Francis Beaumont, the English playwright, was born circa 1584.

2. Where was Francis Beaumont born?

A. London, England
B. Rye, Sussex, England
C. Cambridge, England
D. Grace-Dieu, England

D. Grace-Dieu, England.
Beaumont was born in Grace-Dieu, Leicestershire, England.

3. When did Francis Beaumont die?

A. August 1, 1625
B. March 6, 1616
C. February 8, 1587
D. December 1, 1579

B. March 6, 1616.
Beaumont died on March 6, 1616.

4. Where was Francis Beaumont buried?

A. St Saviour’s, Southwark
B. Poet’s Corner, Westminster
C. Grace-Dieu, Leicestershire
D. Inner Temple, London

B. Poet’s Corner, Westminster.
He was the third poet buried in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey.

5. Who preceded Beaumont in burial at Poet’s Corner?

A. Jonson and Dryden
B. Shakespeare and Jonson
C. Chaucer and Spenser
D. Spenser and Marlowe

C. Chaucer and Spenser.
Beaumont was preceded in Poet’s Corner only by Geoffrey Chaucer and Edmund Spenser.

6. What was Francis Beaumont’s father’s profession?

A. Theatrical manager
B. Anglican Bishop
C. Court physician
D. Judge Francis Beaumont

D. Judge Francis Beaumont.
Francis Beaumont was one of four children born to Judge Francis Beaumont.

7. Where was Beaumont educated before 1598?

A. Cambridge University
B. Oxford University
C. The Globe Theatre
D. Blackfriars Theatre

B. Oxford University.
Beaumont was educated at Oxford until 1598.

8. What legal society did Beaumont enter in 1600?

A. Gray’s Inn
B. Lincoln’s Inn
C. Inner Temple
D. Middle Temple

C. Inner Temple.
Following family tradition, he entered the Inner Temple in 1600.

9. What was Beaumont’s first published work?

A. The Woman Hater
B. Hero and Leander
C. Salmacis and Hermaphroditus
D. The London Merchant

C. Salmacis and Hermaphroditus.
In 1602, he published Salmacis and Hermaphroditus, a mythological poem.

10. Which author’s work influenced Beaumont’s first poem?

A. William Shakespeare
B. Ben Jonson
C. John Dryden
D. Christopher Marlowe

D. Christopher Marlowe.
Salmacis and Hermaphroditus was a mythological poem in the vein of Christopher Marlowe’s Hero and Leander.

11. Around what year did Beaumont begin writing professionally?

A. 1600
B. 1602
C. 1606
D. 1612

C. 1606.
Beaumont began to write professionally around 1606, possibly needing to make a living.

12. For how many years did Beaumont and Fletcher collaborate closely?

A. Six years
B. Nine years
C. Three years
D. Thirteen years

A. Six years.
They composed approximately thirteen plays together from 1606 until 1612.

13. What non-professional aspect did Beaumont and Fletcher share?

A. Their income
B. A theatre company
C. A house and clothes
D. Family lineage

C. A house and clothes.
According to John Aubrey, they shared a house, their clothes, and a “wench”.

14. What ended the collaboration between Beaumont and Fletcher in 1613?

A. Financial ruin
B. Beaumont’s stroke
C. Beaumont’s marriage
D. Fletcher’s departure

C. Beaumont’s marriage.
The collaboration ended in 1613 when Beaumont married Ursula Isley, the heiress.

15. What genre did Beaumont and Fletcher usually employ?

A. Pastoral plays
B. Pure comedy
C. Tragedy
D. Tragicomedy

D. Tragicomedy.
The genre they usually employed in their plays was tragicomedy.

16. What play predicts the nature of their later work?

A. Philaster
B. The Woman Hater
C. Cupid’s Revenge
D. A King and No King

B. The Woman Hater.
The Woman Hater is described as the first play in the canon, predicting their later work.

17. Which of Beaumont’s plays is called the “best burlesque in English”?

A. The Woman Hater
B. The Coxcomb
C. The Knight of the Burning Pestle
D. The Maid’s Tragedy

C. The Knight of the Burning Pestle.
The Knight of the Burning Pestle is sometimes called the best burlesque in English.

18. Which play was Beaumont and Fletcher’s first undisputed success?

A. Cupid’s Revenge
B. The Woman Hater
C. Philaster
D. The Coxcomb

C. Philaster.
Philaster was Beaumont and Fletcher’s first undisputed success.

19. What play features a character who fears he lusted after his sister?

A. Philaster
B. The Maid’s Tragedy
C. A King and No King
D. The Woman Hater

C. A King and No King.
A King and No King features King Arbaces, who lusted after his sister Panthea.

20. Which character did Dryden call the “best characterization” of their work?

A. Arathusa
B. Bellario
C. Amintor
D. King Arbaces

D. King Arbaces.
Dryden called Arbaces, from A King and No King, their best characterization.

21. What is the only tragedy among their collaborations listed?

A. The Maid’s Tragedy
B. The Woman Hater
C. Cupid’s Revenge
D. A King and No King

A. The Maid’s Tragedy.
The Maid’s Tragedy is specified as their only tragedy.

22. What did Neander/Dryden think of Beaumont’s plays compared to Shakespeare’s?

A. Inferior in plot
B. More classical
C. More perfect
D. Less popular

C. More perfect.
John Dryden’s mouthpiece Neander thought Beaumont’s plays were more perfect than William Shakespeare’s.

23. What reason did critics give for their loss of popularity post-Romantic era?

A. Lack of tragedy
B. Superficial psychology
C. Focus on politics
D. Too lengthy

B. Superficial psychology.
Their loss of popularity may relate to their superficial examination of abnormal psychology.

24. What modern playwright attested to the value of their work?

A. William Jonson
B. Luigi Pirandello
C. Philip Massinger
D. Thomas Middleton

B. Luigi Pirandello.
The absurdist playwright Luigi Pirandello appreciated their exploration of identity and role playing.

25. What status did Beaumont’s reputation achieve at his death?

A. Second to Jonson
B. Rivaled that of Shakespeare
C. Highly obscure
D. A minor poet

B. Rivaled that of Shakespeare.
When Beaumont died in 1616, he left behind a reputation that rivaled that of Shakespeare.

26. When was John Fletcher born?

A. c. 1584
B. December 1, 1579
C. August 1, 1625
D. October 15, 1591

B. December 1, 1579.
John Fletcher, the English playwright, was born on December 1, 1579.

27. Where was John Fletcher born?

A. London, England
B. Rye, Sussex, England
C. Grace-Dieu, England
D. Cambridge, England

B. Rye, Sussex, England.
Fletcher’s birthplace was Rye, Sussex, England.

28. When did John Fletcher die?

A. March 6, 1616
B. August 1, 1625
C. December 1, 1579
D. August 29, 1625

B. August 1, 1625.
John Fletcher died sometime in August of 1625.

29. What was the primary cause of John Fletcher’s death?

A. Stroke
B. Duel
C. The plague
D. Old age

C. The plague.
Sometime in August of 1625, Fletcher died of the plague.

30. Where was John Fletcher buried?

A. St Saviour’s, Southwark
B. Poet’s Corner, Westminster
C. Benet College Chapel
D. The Globe Theatre

A. St Saviour’s, Southwark.
He was buried in Saint Saviour’s, in Southwark, London.

31. What high position did Fletcher’s father attain in the church?

A. Dean of Peterborough
B. Bishop of London
C. Archbishop of York
D. Chaplain to King James

B. Bishop of London.
Fletcher’s father, Richard Fletcher, achieved the position of bishop of London.

32. What historical event did Fletcher’s father officiate?

A. Execution of Guy Fawkes
B. Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
C. Coronation of Elizabeth I
D. Marriage of King James I

B. Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Richard Fletcher officiated at the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, on February 8, 1587.

33. Which university did John Fletcher attend?

A. Oxford University
B. University of London
C. Benet College, Cambridge
D. Inner Temple, London

C. Benet College, Cambridge.
Fletcher was accepted as a student at Benet College (Cambridge University) in 1591.

34. What London literary circle did Fletcher join?

A. The Mermaid Tavern
B. The Blackfriars Society
C. The Globe Company
D. The King’s Men

A. The Mermaid Tavern.
In London, Fletcher became part of the literary circle centered around the Mermaid Tavern.

35. In what year did Fletcher succeed Shakespeare as principal playwright?

A. 1607
B. 1611
C. 1613
D. 1620

C. 1613.
In 1613, Fletcher was selected as Shakespeare’s successor as the principal playwright for the King’s Men company.

36. What genre did Fletcher and Beaumont introduce to the stage?

A. Comedy of humours
B. Revenge tragedy
C. Pastoral drama
D. Tragicomedy

D. Tragicomedy.
Along with Beaumont, Fletcher introduced the genre of the tragicomedy.

37. What was Fletcher’s first publicly produced play as sole author?

A. The Woman Hater
B. The Faithful Shepherdess
C. Henry VIII
D. The Wild Goose Chase

B. The Faithful Shepherdess.
Possibly the first publicly produced work solely by Fletcher was the pastoral play The Faithful Shepherdess.

38. What key element defined Fletcher’s tragicomedies?

A. Rustic realism
B. Urban settings
C. Exòtic settings
D. Historical accuracy

C. Exòtic settings.
Beaumont and Fletcher’s tragicomedies featured exòtic settings.

39. What audience did the tragicomedies primarily appeal to?

A. The lower middle class
B. Lower-class patrons
C. The upper classes
D. Apprentices and servants

C. The upper classes.
The Blackfriars audience primarily consisted of the upper classes and highly educated individuals.

40. Which Blackfriars company performed Fletcher’s early plays?

A. Lord Chamberlain’s Men
B. The King’s Men
C. Children of the Queen’s Revels
D. The Admiral’s Men

C. Children of the Queen’s Revels.
The Faithful Shepherdess was probably performed by the Children of the Queen’s Revels.

41. Which collaborator was key to Fletcher’s final years?

A. Ben Jonson
B. Philip Massinger
C. William Shakespeare
D. John Ford

B. Philip Massinger.
Fletcher’s principal collaborator after Beaumont was Philip Massinger.

42. How many plays did Fletcher and Massinger compose together?

A. Around six
B. At least twelve
C. Exactly fifty
D. One single play

B. At least twelve.
Fletcher and Massinger composed at least twelve plays together.

43. With which famous playwright did Fletcher collaborate on Henry VIII?

A. Ben Jonson
B. Thomas Middleton
C. William Shakespeare
D. John Webster

C. William Shakespeare.
Around 1613, Fletcher seems to have collaborated with Shakespeare on Henry VIII.

44. What other play did Fletcher collaborate on with Shakespeare?

A. The Maid’s Tragedy
B. The Two Noble Kinsmen
C. The Prophetess
D. The London Merchant

B. The Two Noble Kinsmen.
Fletcher and Shakespeare collaborated on The Two Noble Kinsmen.

45. Which foreign drama heavily influenced Fletcher’s work?

A. Italian comedy
B. German opera
C. Spanish drama
D. French tragedy

C. Spanish drama.
Among English playwrights of the time, Fletcher stands as the most influenced by Spanish drama.

46. What source did Fletcher turn to for elements of Spanish literature?

A. Miguel de Cervantes
B. Lope de Vega Carpio
C. Tirso de Molina
D. Pedro Calderón

B. Lope de Vega Carpio.
Fletcher introduced Spanish literature elements by turning to sources like Lope de Vega Carpio.

47. What specific writing style feature helps scholars identify Fletcher’s work?

A. Long sentences
B. Frequent metaphors
C. End-stopped lines
D. Lack of verse

C. End-stopped lines.
Scholars identify Fletcher’s work through the very high percentage of end-stopped lines in his verse.

48. How many total plays did Fletcher have a hand in (working alone or collaboratively)?

A. Approximately thirty
B. Around fifty
C. About fifteen
D. Only thirteen

B. Around fifty.
Working alone or in collaboration, Fletcher had a hand in some fifty plays.

49. Which play did critic Clifford Leech consider Fletcher’s masterpiece?

A. The Maid’s Tragedy
B. The Humorous Lieutenant
C. The Wild Goose Chase
D. The Custom of the Country

B. The Humorous Lieutenant.
Clifford Leech viewed The Humorous Lieutenant as Fletcher’s masterpiece.

50. What is the main reason for Fletcher’s fame in post-Shakespearean England?

A. He was widely imitated
B. He retired early
C. He wrote only tragedies
D. He excelled in masques

A. He was widely imitated.
Fletcher was the most widely imitated dramatist of the post-Shakespearean English theater.

The Maid’s Tragedy MCQs

1. Who first comments on the nature of a Mask?

A. King Lysippus
B. Good my Lord
C. The rest are
D. Strato, thou hast

D. Strato, thou hast.
Strato notes that a Mask is strictly tied to rules, compelling the performers to use flattery.

2. Melantius is welcomed back to which location?

A. To Patria
B. To Rhodes
C. In safety
D. Land by me

B. To Rhodes.
Lysippus welcomes Melantius home to Rhodes, praising his virtues and victorious return.

3. How does Melantius feel his body expresses his loyalty?

A. Spoke my love
B. With blood abroad
C. My thanks
D. Scratcht limbs of mine

D. Scratched limbs of mine.
Melantius explains that his scratched and wounded body speaks his truth and love better than his tongue can.

4. Diphilus was supposed to join Melantius to train at what?

A. At Rhodes
B. At Patria
C. With arms
D. At the solemnity

B. At Patria.
Melantius points out Diphilus’s fault for not coming to Patria to exercise his arms with him.

5. What type of entertainment is planned for the evening?

A. A Mask
B. Soldiers measure
C. Silken wars
D. The musick

A. A Mask.
Lysippus informs Melantius that they have a Mask that night as part of the celebration.

6. Who does Melantius refuse to participate with in dancing?

A. With arms
B. New friend
C. Young man
D. Soft and silken wars

D. Soft and silken wars.
Melantius states that soft and silken wars (like dancing) are not suitable for him.

7. Why does Melantius call Amintor his friend despite his youth?

A. He is valiant
B. His worth is great
C. Brought home conquest
D. His ripe years

B. His worth is great.
Melantius justifies calling Amintor his friend because the young man possesses great worth, being valiant and temperate.

8. Who was Amintor expected to marry, based on Melantius’s letters?

A. Evadne
B. Aspatia
C. A Lady Sir
D. His friend

B. Aspatia.
Melantius received letters at Patria confirming Amintor’s intended marriage to the fair Aspatia.

9. Who is Amintor actually marrying, causing a change of plans?

A. Aspatia
B. Fair Evadne
C. A Lady Sir
D. Lysippus sister

B. Fair Evadne.
Amintor married the fair Evadne, who is revealed to be Melantius’s virtuous sister.

10. Why did the King arrange the marriage between Amintor and Evadne?

A. To show love
B. To honour you
C. Give thee a welcome
D. Bless the Bride

B. To honour you.
Lysippus explains that the King arranged this solemn match between Evadne and Amintor to honour Melantius.

11. Who is Aspatia’s father, holding a grudge against Melantius?

A. Calianax
B. Diphilus
C. Lysippus
D. Noble Melantius

A. Calianax.
Melantius notes that there is rage hidden in Calianax’s breast, who has long been against him.

12. What activity does the discontented Aspatia enjoy?

A. Unfrequented woods
B. Mirthful tales
C. To make her maids
D. Tell a story

A. Unfrequented woods.
Aspatia’s delight is described as walking discontentedly in the unfrequented woods, her eyes on the earth.

13. What subject matter dominates Aspatia’s mournful stories?

A. Forsaken Virgin
B. Silent death
C. Infectious grief
D. Young Ladies

A. Forsaken Virgin.
Aspatia tells sad stories concerning the silent death of some abandoned maidens, moving listeners to tears.

14. What does Amintor say is a consequence of Melantius’s return?

A. Victory sits
B. My thanks
C. A sacrifice
D. Is returned

C. A sacrifice.
Amintor views Melantius’s safe return as a sacrifice made to thank the gods.

15. What emotional response does Melantius elicit from Amintor upon their reunion?

A. To weep
B. Joy to see thee
C. Fear thou art
D. Much too narrow

A. To weep.
Amintor is forced to weep on his wedding day in response to Melantius’s noble tears of affection.

16. What forced Amintor to break his promise to Aspatia?

A. The King forbad
B. Worthy change
C. Lusty youth
D. Noble tears

A. The King forbade.
Amintor explains that the King strictly forbade his marriage to Aspatia, forcing him to make the change.

17. What type of ‘Mistress’ does Melantius say he has?

A. Rough though I am
B. Has a heart
C. It is stone
D. Rough though I am

C. It is stone.
Melantius mentions his mistress, stating that she has a heart, but tragically, it is merely stone.

18. Why is Calianax concerned about the King’s show location?

A. Will rail at me
B. Will have the show
C. Look to the doors
D. Very well said

A. Will rail at me.
Calianax fears the King will scold him for letting in too many people, especially if the show is held in court.

19. What does Calianax sweat through entirely?

A. His greatness
B. His Office
C. Making room
D. His daughter

B. His Office.
Calianax complains that he sweats entirely through his duties, wishing he could resign his role.

20. How does Calianax feel about serving the King now?

A. Serve that will
B. I’m sure I sweat
C. Nearly killed her
D. So humorous

A. Serve that will.
Calianax bitterly refuses to serve the King who has forsaken his daughter, declaring, “Serve that will.”

21. Calianax scolds Melantius for placing whom near the King?

A. My sister
B. The Lady
C. Aspatia
D. Your whore

B. The Lady.
Calianax questions Melantius for seating the Lady, whom he refers to as a “wench,” so near the King.

22. How does Melantius initially excuse Calianax’s insulting words?

A. The Palsey shook
B. Age, my safety
C. Ignore it
D. Womanish

A. The Palsey shook.
Melantius attributes Calianax’s harsh and womanish words to the shaking effect of the Palsey (palsy) on his tongue.

23. What is Melantius’s curse as a soldier during peacetime?

A. They shall be brain’d
B. Beg succour
C. Trouble the land
D. Blood, I have lost

A. They shall be brain’d.
Melantius laments that soldiers in peacetime are scorned and branded by ignoble men who would beg for help in wartime.

24. What does the King ask Melantius and Calianax to set aside?

A. Brother Lysippus
B. My love
C. Begin the Mask
D. To brabble in

D. To brabble in.
The King tells the two men that the solemnities are not the appropriate time or place to quarrel or brabble.

25. Who is the Goddess of the Moon in the Mask?

A. Night
B. Bright Cinthia
C. Queen of Shadows
D. Amphitrite

B. Bright Cinthia.
Night calls upon Bright Cinthia (the Moon) to appear and shine her light on the assembly for the show.

26. What does Neptune command Aeolus to chain fast?

A. The main
B. Boreas
C. Vernal blasts
D. The seas

B. Boreas.
Neptune instructs Aeolus to free Favonius and milder winds, but to keep Boreas (the harsh North wind) strictly fastened.

27. Who breaks free and threatens to raise a storm during the Mask?

A. Neptune
B. Boreas
C. Blew Proteus
D. Eolus

B. Boreas.
Eolus reports to Neptune that Boreas has broken his chain and is struggling with the rest, causing potential destruction.

28. What does the King ask Amintor to produce before the night ends?

A. A tedious ceremony
B. Defend my Kingdom
C. If thou beest noble
D. Get me a boy

D. Get me a boy.
The King wishes Amintor, if he is noble, to conceive a son who can later defend the Kingdom of Rhodes from its enemies.

29. Who is called “very merry” by Evadne in her chamber?

A. Aspatia
B. Ladies
C. Dula
D. My Lord

C. Dula.
Evadne observes that Dula, one of her attendant ladies, is extremely merry while preparing her for the marriage bed.

30. Aspatia advises Amintor that her wrongs may be forgotten by what?

A. In my death
B. In your Ladies’ love
C. Parting kiss
D. The King

A. In my death.
Aspatia tells Amintor that all the wrongs he inflicted upon her may be completely forgotten if she dies.

31. Who does Amintor blame first for forcing him to break his troth?

A. Aspatia
B. Evadne
C. The King
D. My guilt

C. The King.
Amintor blames the King for forcing him to break his promise, even as his conscience whispers of his guilt.

32. What quality does Evadne first suggest Amintor lacks by asking him to kill someone?

A. Thy truth
B. Holy God
C. A true Lover
D. His honour

A. Thy truth.
Evadne asks Amintor to swear he will kill a man, saying this action will test his true love and devotion to her.

33. What creatures would Evadne sooner sleep among than Amintor?

A. Wild beast
B. Young man
C. Beds of Snakes
D. Foul woman

C. Beds of Snakes.
Evadne swears she would sooner find snake dens and warm their cold bodies than sleep a single night with Amintor.

34. Who is the man Evadne reveals is her secret lover?

A. Melantius
B. Amintor
C. The King
D. A true Lover

C. The King.
When Amintor insists on knowing who wrongs him, Evadne shocks him by revealing that the lover is the King.

35. How does Amintor manage his initial reaction to this dishonour?

A. Raging
B. Suffer and wait
C. Against the King
D. A terror

B. Suffer and wait.
Amintor decides he must suffer and wait because the King’s name carries divinity and terror, preventing immediate revenge.

36. Aspatia instructs her maids to choose what as lovers instead of men?

A. Two dead cold aspicks
B. A false heart
C. The Sea
D. The wind

A. Two dead cold aspicks.
Aspatia sorrowfully advises her maids to choose two cold aspics as lovers, as they cannot flatter or forswear like men.

37. What does Aspatia describe as a “cousening face” in the needlework?

A. Ariadne
B. Paris
C. Theseus
D. A swift keel

C. Theseus.
Aspatia comments on the needlework of Ariadne, noting that Theseus, the supposed hero, possesses a deceitful “cousening face”.

38. Melantius notes that Amintor’s words fall from his tongue in what manner?

A. Like his sword
B. Wildly
C. With friendship
D. With scorn

B. Wildly.
Melantius observes that Amintor’s words and mannerisms are scattered, like someone trying to seem merry while secretly unwell.

39. What name does Melantius state is “nearer” than the name of Brother?

A. King
B. Friend
C. Souldier
D. My love

B. Friend.
Melantius tells Amintor that the name of a friend is closer to him than the traditional term “Brother”.

40. What does Melantius threaten to do if Amintor is hiding sins?

A. Search an unknown Land
B. Fight
C. Call thrice aloud
D. Out of my bosom

A. Search an unknown Land.
Melantius claims he will travel to an unknown land to find genuine friendship since Amintor is withholding his secrets.

41. Melantius halts his anger when he remembers what relationship is paramount?

A. The King
B. Thy sister
C. Name of friend
D. All the world

C. Name of friend.
Melantius puts up his sword, realizing that the name of a friend outweighs family and the entire world.

42. What does Melantius call the King after learning of the affair?

A. Noble man
B. Adulterous King
C. Tyrant
D. A fool

B. Adulterous King.
Melantius cries out in anger, calling the King an “Adulterous King” for seducing his sister and dishonouring their house.

43. What derogatory name does Amintor fear will be fixed upon him if Melantius seeks revenge?

A. A fool
B. Brave revenge
C. Fearful Cuckold
D. Sin close

C. Fearful Cuckold.
Amintor fears that suffering patiently will brand him with the humiliating and fearful name of Cuckold.

44. What news causes Melantius and Diphilus to laugh before their plotting?

A. Sister and the King
B. Armour in my house
C. Amintor’s grief
D. Old fellow haunts

A. Sister and the King.
Diphilus reports that the King and Evadne were laughing so hard they chased everyone else out of the room.

45. What reason does Melantius use to convince Calianax to surrender the Fort?

A. I never wronged you
B. I would kill the King
C. Policy
D. Forget your spleen

B. I would kill the King.
Melantius tells Calianax his plan is to murder the King, needing the Fort for his escape afterward.

46. How does Melantius force Evadne to confess her lover?

A. With a knife
B. Lock the door
C. Threatens to kill her
D. Rail thus

C. Threatens to kill her.
Melantius, using his sword and threats, forces Evadne to speak the truth, saying he will kill her if she doesn’t confess.

47. Evadne eventually confesses that she sinned with whom?

A. With Amintor
B. A bold tale
C. It was the King
D. Secure slave

C. It was the King.
Under extreme duress and the threat of death, Evadne finally whispers that her partner in sin was the King.

48. After Evadne repents, what does Amintor give her?

A. Forgiveness
B. A kiss
C. My love
D. Happiness

A. Forgiveness.
Amintor’s frozen soul melts upon Evadne’s sincere repentance, and he offers her his complete forgiveness.

49. What does Evadne tie the King to the bed with before stabbing him?

A. A fine wench
B. Your strength
C. By his love
D. Ties his arms

D. Ties his arms.
Evadne ties the King’s arms to the bed to prevent him from fighting back, ensuring she can complete her vengeance.

50. In the final act, who dies by Amintor’s sword during a duel?

A. The King
B. Evadne
C. Aspatia
D. Servant

C. Aspatia.
Aspatia, disguised as a man, intentionally provokes Amintor and is fatally wounded, seeking death by his hand.

Brief Overview

The Maid’s Tragedy is a Jacobean play written by Beaumont and Fletcher. It was first published in 1619. This sensational tragedy was first performed around 1610–1611.

The play is set in the fictional court of Rhodes. It focuses on themes of betrayal, honour, and the abuse of royal power. The conflict begins when the King forces the nobleman Amintor to break his promise to marry Aspatia. Amintor is instead made to marry Evadne, the sister of his friend, Melantius.

On the wedding night, Evadne reveals a devastating secret. She tells Amintor that she is the King’s mistress and only married Amintor for a public excuse. Amintor is shattered but is too afraid to take action against the powerful King.

Melantius learns the truth about his sister and the King’s abuse. He confronts Evadne and forces her to swear that she will murder the King to restore the family’s honour. Evadne enters the King’s bedchamber, ties him down, and stabs him repeatedly until he dies.

Meanwhile, Aspatia, dressed in men’s clothes, finds Amintor and provokes a fight, hoping Amintor will kill her. Amintor wounds her, and she dies after revealing her identity. Evadne, with bloody hands, then finds Amintor and tells him she killed the King.

Amintor rejects her, and she kills herself next to him. Amintor, overcome by sorrow, kills himself too. The King’s brother, Lysippus, becomes the new ruler.